At what point did the WTS become overly controlling? (page 2)

anewme

I had no idea that when the Bible talked about "enduring til the end" it was talking about enduring the Society!!!

undercover

Here's a theory...(at least for us in the US)

As the "world" loosened up...and I don't mean morally, I mean, they got away from that buttoned down, sanitized way of looking and acting to actually trying to express themselves, it cut into the control that groups like the WTS had. At first, it played into their hands. Take the rebellion and revolution of the sixties. It scared a lot of conservative people. So conservative types ran to controlling groups like the JWs where the world made sense to them and they were comforted with the teachings that these revolutionary types would be punished by God.

In time though, the revloution died, but not without changing the way people in general looked at a lot of things. People loosened up. They started to express themselves in their clothes, their grooming, their homes, their cars. Individuality was starting to become a normal thing. They started questioning authority more. They didn't accept the clergy, the politicians, the teachers at face value anymore. Their respect and trust had to be earned.

Over a generation or so of this new individual freedom, people started to realize they don't need an authortative, controlling group to lead them through life or dictate to them what they should believe or how they should act. The WTS started losing its grip on people. They faced a crossroads...loosen up and go with the flow or clamp down and stifle this new individuality.

It's obvious that they chose the latter. From grooming (no beards, colored shirts, snazzy ties, short skirts, cleavage) to controlling entertainment (no R-rated movies, no rap, hip-hop, heavey metal) to who the followers could associate with(from condemning worldly people to even discouraging large gatherings of their own followers) and the myriad other things that they try to control in the daily lives of their followers shows that they are trying hard to keep the R&F in line and not allow them individual freedoms and choices.

wednesday

I noted that things also became a lot more controlling when the wts started admonishing us to be leary of the ones we call brothers and sisters, those in the cong. Before that we were mainly worried about " worldly association" but now it was more than that. We were to not associate with anyone whe decided we needed to mark within the cong. Cong picnics ceased and everything became an invite type thing, and then a lot of people began to be left out. I have heard people say " just b/c someone is reinstated does not mean i have to associate with them, I'm not forced to associate with anyone". The jws became a very unfriendly and unloving place. gone where the days when the weak were encourged and invited to gatherings to upbuild them. Now they were shunned. It became a sad place to be, with no one to assocate with. You were not supoosed to have worldy friends and if the jws deeemed you unworthy, then you also did not have jws friends. And they wonder why so many are depressed. now I am told that the inactive can be viewed as DA by the individual jws if they choose. now people divorce if the mate becomes weak. This did not used to happen.This are so paranoid they have shut out everyone.

XJW4EVR

I would have to say that things changed in the 80s. Prior to that we always had the congo. over for volleyball on Sunday nights. It was about fun. Soon the days of the Congo. pinics went the way of the phonograph. To me, it was around 1984-85 that Congs. got more cliquish. Before long my family only hung out with other Elder's families.

done4good

I'm not sure I've ever known the org. to be non-controlling. That said, I would say it is worse recently though. Even with a more moderate view on things like education, it seems the WTS as of late has become obsessed with other things, such as controlling Internet usage, entertainment, and style of dress. You cannot be a normal person and be a jw anymore.

j

SirNose586

I noted that things also became a lot more controlling when the wts started admonishing us to be leary of the ones we call brothers and sisters, those in the cong. Before that we were mainly worried about " worldly association" but now it was more than that. We were to not associate with anyone whe decided we needed to mark within the cong. Cong picnics ceased and everything became an invite type thing, and then a lot of people began to be left out. I have heard people say " just b/c someone is reinstated does not mean i have to associate with them, I'm not forced to associate with anyone". The jws became a very unfriendly and unloving place. gone where the days when the weak were encourged and invited to gatherings to upbuild them. Now they were shunned. It became a sad place to be, with no one to assocate with. You were not supoosed to have worldy friends and if the jws deeemed you unworthy, then you also did not have jws friends. And they wonder why so many are depressed. now I am told that the inactive can be viewed as DA by the individual jws if they choose. now people divorce if the mate becomes weak. This did not used to happen.This are so paranoid they have shut out everyone.

I know what you're saying, wednesday. All the goodie two shoes in my hall will be at one sort of party, and if you're not on the BoE's good side, you just don't hear about it. I will never see some of my friends invited to certain gatherings ever again. They won't get an invite because people don't like them. I'll get an invite...so I can hang out with the gossipers and the boring kids.

foundfreedom

I grew up in the 70's and we had lots of fun!! we had costume parties and get togethers all the time. Us teenagers would go and play baseball on sunday afternoon's after service or go out of town to a small canyon and go horseback riding (always after service of course!!) rollerskateing and so much more.

We even one year went every Saturday night to a different witness house all the teenagers did and we would study our watchtower for the next morning and then afterward we would visit and have snacks, good way to get to check out the other single people from other KH's.

Those were the good old days before the WTS became like Hitler!!

Forscher

I began my association with the Dubs in the early 1970s.
At the time things were not so tight on individual control. Yes, there were still plenty of rules to follow, but it wasn't all that bad. We had congregation parties, independent Bible studies (usually preparing for the Watchower or book study kind of things, mainly social in nature), and many such things. As one poster noted, the focus was mainly on the dangers of association with outsiders.
Then everything changed about 1980, at the time of the Bethel scare. A real crackdown occured. Any activity not directly approved by the BOE was forbidden. So the parties and other activities ceased. Suspicion of other Dubs was encouraged. And the paranoia only grew through the years. As things only grew worse over the years, it is not all that hard for me to see how just about anyone would look back on whatever time they came into the bOrg with a sense of nostalgia.
Forscher

Confession

It's certainly true that Rutherford was a controlling b**tard, but I agree with Forscher and James Woods...

But then, shortly thereafter, came a real crackdown. Probably this also had something to do with 1975, the falling away, and the famous apostacy era of 1980-1981. Freddy was back, and this time he was really pissed off...

I've spoken with a few Bethelites from the 70s who tell me that (even there) things were much more relaxed than today. Then the 1975 "disappointment." What happens when a religion claiming to be God's only true channel prophesies a worldwide cataclysm--and it doesn't happen? Those in charge go into damage control and become paranoid. Instead of humbly acknowledging their "prophetic indiscretion," they try to control the speech and thoughts of their followers. Witchhunts began, resulting in perfectly wonderful JWs being angrily disfellowshipped and sent home. Governing Body member, Ray Franz, was treated similarly.

Authoritarians control by the use of fear. The above mentioned witchhunts--which came as a result of their OWN mistakes--were part of an organizational policy of scaring people into submitting to their "authority."

Those at the helm of the Watchtower Society are not "fellow servants." If they do not fulfill the Biblical identification of "masters over your faith," who does?

jgnat

Well, then, Rutherford set the gears in motion. He made sure his organization was centrally controlled.

I had no idea that when the Bible talked about "enduring til the end" it was talking about enduring the Society!!!

Anewme, if that doesn't reflect the feelings of half the ladies in our congregation, I don't know what does! Even when hubby and I visit other congregations, typically the person welcoming us brings up a niggling inconvenience from the society, sighs, and speaks of endurance.

At what point did the WTS become overly controlling?

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